Educational device.



M. MULLINS. EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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MICAJ'AI-I MULLINS, 0F JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS.

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Serial No. 627,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIOAJAH MULLINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Junction City, in the county of Geary and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in EducationalDevices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in educational devices and moreparticularly to a device for teaching children in the lower grades tocount easily and accurately by objective analysis, that is by impressingupon their mind the orderly association of numbers and objects inconnection with sight, sound and use. Among children of the lower gradeswhose minds are at the impressionable stage and whose faculties aredeveloping quickly and surely, care should be taken in theirinstruction, and proper allowance made for their natural pride indiscovering certain existing truths for themselves. This analysis hasfor an object the fostering and developing of this universal axiom amongeducators, and aims particularly to so direct and guide the youngscholar that he will learn to confidently rely upon his own individualability to think for himself, besides presenting the subject in such aclear, lucid and attractive and interesting manner that instead of theusual drudgery and mental torture generally associated with theacquisition of the multiplication table and fractions, the work willbecome a pleasure and a delight and will stimulate and foster classrivalry, affording as it does unlimited opportunities for the pupils ownadvancement and progress without the aid of a mentor or instructor.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter named which will set forth clearly and attractively thenumbers singly and in groups, arranged in color schemes and associatedwith sight, sound and use, thus making a more lasting impression on themind of the young scholar than is done-at present under the old regime.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device of theabovenamed character, which will save a vast amount of time in theinstruction of the pupil, owing to the fact that he can see thedifiierent units of measure and the divisions and sub-divisions of eachin association with the words of its individual table.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a device for use in thelower grades, which will aid the pupil to master by himself and largelythrough his own efforts, the fundamental principles of counting andenumeration, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; whichwill train the mind to concentrate its thought by suggestiveassociation; which will make the work of both teacher and pupilattractive and interesting; and which will encourage and stimulateambition and further desire for knowledge.

To attain the desired objects my invention resides in the provision of adevice of the character named, which will be of simple and inexpensiveconstruction and thoroughly practical and efficient from every viewpoint, and in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a practicalembodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 represents a face view of my device, showing the bounding rowsof the blocks or sliding members moved out of position to uncover andreveal the printed numeral and word descriptive thereof beneath. Fig. 2represents a horizontal sectional view through one side of the countingand grouping board. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view throughone side of the counting board. Fig. A represents a top plan view of theboard and back uniting to form the complete folder, and having the chartthereon. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal sectional view of the entirefolder, the board and outside back folding in when not in use. Fig. 6represents a side sectional View of the entire folder in foldedposition, showing the compact position it assumes when folded. Fig. 7represents a detail view of one of the blocks or sliding members.

In the drawings in which similar characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views: The letter A designates thecounting or grouping board B, the edge or rim of the said board, 0, thesliding blocks mounted as at O on the strip of cardboard or celluloid D,which contains the printed numeral and word descriptive of said numeral,and the strip slides under the surface E of the board and the edges G ofthe blocks C slide along the grooves F on the surface of the said boardA.

It will be understood that when the blocks G are moved to the side, asshown in Fig.

1, the strips D, containing the printed number and word and upon whichthe blocks are mounted, are moved out from beneath the surface of theboard and into view, and assume the position formerly occupied by thesaid blocks C.

From this construction it Will be seen thatwhen the teacher orinstructer wishes to show the particular form of a certain numeral, thenumeral 1 for instance, she moves the disk or block C to the left,causing the strip D to assume the position just vacated by the saidblock, and exposing the printed number 1 above the printed word one,said word and number being printed on the strip as hereinbeforeexplained. Since the numbers run in regular order from 1 to 10 in thefirst row, 11 to 20 in the second, and so on it will be seen that apracti cal knowledge of the Arabic numerals up to 100 is soon acquiredas well as the form, ap pearance and spelling and pronunciation of eachcharacter. Concerning the method of instruction for numerals over 100more will be said later. It will also be noted that at the bottomof'Fig. 1 are placed numbers and their corresponding spelling, thespelling being syllabified in order to aid the pronunciation and betterimpress the derivation and formation of the word, said numbers andspelling appearing in script as well as printed form, thus enabling thescholar to become familiar with both forms of the words and figures.

The letter H designates the cover of my device, J the connecting strips,K the binding at one end for the entire folder, and L the binder at theother end for each group containing the two sections folded together,all of which being of common construction.

To add on multiples it will be seen that any number can be used, forinstance, group the first 10 into 2s, beginning on the second block, andas the blocks are moved name the unit figures, 2, 4, 6, 8, 0 (calling 0ten as it shows the end of some 10 in each row). Continue to objectify2s on to 100, calling only the first tens figure of the same name ineach row and carry it in mind until the next tens figure is reached.

To subtract on multiples, begin at 100 and reverse the method ofaddition, calling 100, 98, 6, 4, 2, 90; 88, 6, 4, 2, 80, and so on.

To multiply objectify the 2s as in addition up to 10 times 2; and thencall 2 is 2, two 2s are 4, and so on.

To divide obj ectify the 2s as in addition up to ten 2s, saying 2 is one2, 4 is two 2s, and so on up to 20. After 20 has been learned thoroughlyobjectify beginning on the odd number 1, and continue as in the previoussteps.

It is apparent that by designating each block as a cent, marble or someother familiar object, interest will be added to the lessons, andmoreover a good foundation is laid regarding the basic value of ourourrency.

It will be understood that odd numbers on the objective and analyticcounting and grouping board are designated by red blocks and the evennumbers are indicated by blue blocks, variations in the shade of red andblue being made to add to the color scheme and make the Whole boardstand out more plainly in the mind of the scholar, the fundamentalprinciple being a color for odd numbers and a color for even numbers.

011 the inner side of the board is placed the objective and analyticalcounting table or chart M for numerals above 100 and up to 1000, thecolor scheme being followed out with the additions that the greenrepresents the tens, the blacks the hundreds, and so on until 1000 isreached, whereupon the numbers while retaining their colors areincreased by the addition of another figure, in this case the figure 1,which, since it is an odd number is designated by the red numeral 1,followed by the black numeral 0, representing hundreds, the greennumeral 0, representing tens, and the blue numeral 0, representing evenunits. As this system can be continued indefinitely, and since itaffords a very desirable means for impressing the mind of the pupil withthe value of a certain numeral, that is its unitary value, I haveadopted it and inculcated it in my device, it however being understood,that I do not limit myself to any particular color for a certain unit,as the colors and numbers of reference herein used are merely by way ofillustration and are not essential to the use of my device. I also placethe printed form of the unit either at the side of or over the characterwhich it designates in the same color of the character, and in this waythe objectifying by sight and color is made all the clearer in the mindof the scholar, thus tending to aid the mental process of recalling thevalue of a certain number, by thinking of its color and position.Continuing the color scheme still further I avail myself of the deviceof separating the groups of tens horizontally by green lines, andperpendicularly dividing each tento one hundred into pairs by red andblue lines. Each ten to one hundred is also divided perpendicularly intogroups of 4s, marked by double blue lines placed to the right'of the 4sand 8s, and also by double red lines placed to the right of the 1s, 5s,and 9s, thereby marking the 4s in each ten beginning on the odd number1.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings itwill be seen that I have provided a device which will lessen the timeand labor to be spent on the principles of enumeration; which places thenumbers and their corresponding colors before the pupil in such anattractive, clear and concise manner that he cannot fail to understandand become interested; thereby creating a spirit of ambition andthoroughness, besides inculcating a desire to learn for himself; andfinally an appliance of this character which will be so inexpensive ofproduction as to warrant its adoption in households as well as publicschools and kindergartens.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character named, the combination with the coversand back, of a counting and grouping board having colored sliding blocksor disks, strips sliding beneath the surface of the board and bearingsaid blocks thereon, and printed matter of various colors on said stripsadapted to be exposed to view upon the movement of the blocks.

2. In a device of the character named, the combination with the coversand back, of a counting and grouping board having colored sliding blocksor disks, said blocks or disks being mounted on strips adapted to slideunder the surface of the said board, and printed matter of variouscolors on said strips and adapted to be exposed to View upon themovement of said blocks.

3. In combination with the back and covers, of a grooved board havingblocks of various colors mounted thereon, said blocks being slightlylarger than the aperture over which they are mounted to form edges toengage with the grooves, strips whereupon said blocks are mounted havingfigures and words printed thereon, and adapted to slide forward with themovement of the block and be exposed to view.

4. In combination with the covers and backs, of a counting and groupingboard having strips sliding beneath the surface thereof, printed matteron said strips, said printed matter being of various colors, blocksmounted on the strips, said blocks being of different colors and beingadapted to slide sidewise to expose the printed matter on the strips,and figures and words of different colors at the bottom of the board,said figures and words being written in script as well as printed.

5. In combination with the covers and back, of a counting and groupingboard, blocks mounted on strips thereon, said blocks and strips beingadapted to slide along the board, numbers and words at the bottom of thesaid board, the other side of said board having charts thereon,comprising various numerals in regular order and color arr rangement,said charts having single and double lines in various colors thereon toindicate different and various divisions of said figures on the charts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MIOAJ AH MULLINS.

I/Vitnesses:

JOHN N. TRITLE, J. E. CLnMosoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

